Category Archives: music

Nevermind Turns 20

I’ve never been a huge fan of Nirvana.  To this day, I only like two of the band’s songs (Territorial Pissings and Lake of Fire), but even I can’t deny the impact Nirvana had on rock music. Next month (Sep. 24th, to be exact) marks the 20th anniversary of the critically acclaimed, and according to the Library of Congress, “culturally, historically or aesthetically important” album, Nevermind.

It’s pretty crazy to think Nevermind is turning 20 this year (I was only 8 year’s old when it was released) and there are quite a bit of special things happening to mark this day.  And though I’m not a fan, i’m guessing most of you are, so here a few of the more interesting Nevermind happenings…

Joseph Gordon-Levitt performed Nirvana’s Lithium at the Neptune Theater in Seattle, Washington on August 23rd 2011, as part of “hitRECord At The Movies With Joseph Gordon-Levitt.”

He performed the song solo, accompanied only by an electric guitar, and did the song justice, demonstrating his impressive pipes.  The cover was appropriate not just because this year marks the 20th anniversary of Nirvana’s game-changing Nevermind, but because he performed it in Kurt Cobain’s hometown.  Gordon-Levitt made a brief speech mid-song emphasizing not to let the legend and controversy of Cobain’s death eclipse the greatness of Nirvana’s actual music—something that happens all too often. [source: Paste Magazine]

The June 2011 issue of GQ had a really interesting and informative article about the making of Nevermind.

Nate Penn, and a fleet of reporters, interviewed dozens of people (including Courtney Love, Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic, Kim Gordon, Chris Cornell, and more) and put together an oral history of the making of Nirvana’s Nevermind. Check out the article here: The Oral History Of Nirvana’s Nevermind.’

Comedy Central’s Jon Stewart will host a Q&A session to celebrate the 20th anniversary of its album Nevermind.  Stewart will host the event on SiriusXM for two hours on Sept. 24. It will feature fans, Nirvana band members Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic, and Butch Vig, the producer behind Nevermind.

Lastly, spoken word artist, Matt Finney, along with Ukrainian composer Heinali (collectively known Heinali and Matt Finney) put up a new cover of Smells Like Teen Spirit.  This is definitely the more interesting Nirvana cover i’ve heard in quite awhile.  You can download the track here and be on the lookout for their upcoming album Ain’t No Right via Paradigms Recordings.

[watch] The Jezabels//Endless Summer

Endless Summer is an ideal, a fantasy, the kind you can impose onto another person when you are lonely or when reality is dark and cold, like the boy in the film clip,” says Hayley Mary, the front woman of the  Australian moody-pop quartet The Jezabels.

The video for Endless Summer, premiered this morning by the international culture outlet PopMatters.com, was directed by Mikey Hamer and appears as if straight out of a period-piece film, complete with beautiful cinematography and costumes. The band’s penchant for the dramatic shines through, re-asserting their self-described genre “intense-indie,” called  “emotional intensity and grace” by Canada’s Chart Attack. The video is for the single Endless Summer which will be released on their debut LP Prisoner, for which the U.S. release date is yet to be set.  [source: planetary group]

And if you have a hankering for some live music, The Jezabels will be returning to the U.S. and Canada in November to tour with the Canadian indie rock band Hey Rosetta!

♫ The Jezabels – Endless Summer ♫

[on the rise] Red Eye Fugu

Questioning the truth and attempting to imagine and re-write what’s been written are the notions encapsulated in Red Eye Fugu’s debut album Watchers. Seemingly infatuated by the roots of science fiction, Enzo Tiano’s electro-pop solo project is fueled with groovy beats and filtered dream-like sounds. The album is a brush fire of thought-provoking tales and the string of events that manifests into our strange reality. Each track provides a glimpse into the mind of a time traveler, a cult member, a truth seeker and a horror movie fanatic. These characters are inspired from fragments of philosophical, political and spiritual agendas hidden behind the curtains of mainstream mentality.

After immigrating to Los Angeles from the Philippines when he was fifteen, Tiano began to develop a sense of melodic urge to write and sing his own songs. Influenced by artists like John Lennon, David Bowie, and Thom Yorke, he manifested his songwriting into an imaginative, twilight-zone, party vibe and formed his first live band Paraventure. After putting aside music to pursue fashion design for a year, he joined the band Twin Falcons which, along with his solo material, marked his rebirth into the music scene. His debut solo EP, Suspicious Characters, was released under the moniker Poster Child on January 22, 2011.

His latest full-length album Watchers is set be released on September 10, 2011. Songs like “Prophecies (I Don’t Mind)” and “Floating Sea” highlight the never-ending belief in a poignant and dogmatic end-of-times scenario following the blueprint of a tenacious biblical endeavor. Tiano explains, “After hearing about Harold Camping’s failed prediction of the supposed end of times due date, I started getting ideas. I imagined being part of a cult who’s heavily devoted to a charismatic false prophet, believing that the world will end tomorrow. The lyrical venture is a split screen satire that focuses on what happens when they wake up the next day and still having to pay tax and mortgage”.

While the subject matter of Red Eye Fugu’s songs are fairly serious and vague in nature, there is still a playfulness and child-like wonder to his work, turning the vicious cynicism of an old hippie into a psybient electro pop wonder boy. His music fits well alongside The Flaming Lips, Toro Y Moi, Memory Tapes, and Washed Out, while still maintaining its own enigmatic mantra.
[source: planetary group]

♫ Red Eye Fugu – Prophecies (I Don’t Mind) ♫

♫ Red Eye Fugu – Night Runner ♫

More Red Eye Fugu at:
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[on repeat] Future Islands//Balance

Just came across this brand new track (thank you Elbows) from Future Islands and the boys from Baltimore have done it once again.

I was already excited for the upcoming release of the band’s third album, On The Water, after hearing the lead single Before The Bridge.  This latest track, Balance, is equally as nice on the ears (if not nicer).

On The Water is set for release Oct. 11th via ThrillJockey.  In the meantime, enjoy the new track below and you LA peeps can catch ’em at this years FYF Fest on Sep. 3rd.

♫ Future Islands – Balance ♫

[CMJ 2011] First Round of Artists Announced

CMJ Music Marathon & Film Festival just recently announced the first round of artists scheduled to play this year.  The initial lineup is fantastic and full of personal favorites—Portugal. The Man, Givers, Zola Jesus, Talib Kweli, Dum Dum Girls, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Braids… just to name a few.

If you’re not familiar with CMJ, take my word for it, DON’T MISS THIS FESTIVAL.  I personally can’t think of a finer music festival in the US.  Not only is it your chance to catch an insane amount of live music, full of up-and-coming buzz bands that you get to enjoy before they lay claim to a swath of Grammys, but it just happens to also take place in one the world’s greatest cities.

I told myself last year I wasn’t going to miss 2011…let’s just say I’m already saving up for next year.  But don’t miss out on my account.  You can purchase badges here, peep the plethora of previously-announced industry-stacked panels here, and keep checking back here for more CMJ 2011 news.  CMJ is set for Oct. 18 – 22 in NYC, but in the meantime, familiarize yourself with the initial lineup below and enjoy some tunes along the way.

Artists playing CMJ 2011:
Portugal. The Man
CSS
Neon Indian
Wombats
Wild Flag
Metronomy
Talib Kweli
Givers ♫ Up Up Up ♫
Zola Jesus  ♫ Night ♫
Class Actress
Dum Dum Girls
Art Vs. Science
Viva Brother
Davila 666
Eleanor Friedberger
EMA
Jean Grae
Pharoahe Monch
Unknown Mortal Orchestra  ♫ How Can You Luv Me ♫
US Royalty
Datarock
Kermit Ruffins
Parlotones
Kvelertak
Sea of Bees
Handsome Furs
Memoryhouse
Kevin Devine
Braids  ♫ Lemonade ♫